Into the Land of the Rising Sun: "WELCOME TO JAPAN. SOME OF THE RULES HERE DON'T MAKE SENSE"

Excerpt from my school's handbook

This past weekend we were on alert for Typhoon Talas, which by varying reports was supposed to hit the Kansai Region (where I am located) either Friday or Saturday. Our first official day of class on Friday was canceled, but the teachers had to come in anyway. Apparently conditions could be too hazardous for the students, but not for the faculty. I asked one of my neighbors, a 30 year-old Japanese woman who speaks excellent English with an Australian accent, why classes would be canceled, but the school would not be closed. "Welcome to Japan," she replied, "Some of the rules here don't make sense."

I admit that I viewed Talas as more of a nuisance than a real threat. Not only was I forced to find ways to entertain myself at school on Friday in lieu of teaching class, but my weekend plans were postponed as well. A JET named Marty who lives really far out in the boondocks, in a town called Tenkawa, has permission to hold an annual party on the grounds of his school. Every year, JETs travel from all over the prefecture to come down for two days of barbecue, sports, swimming in the river, drinking beer, patronizing the local onsen (local hot springs baths), and culminating in a mass slumber party in the gym on Saturday night. However, the fete was postponed in light of the impending weather forecast- we were afraid the rain would curtail our fun. The night fifty of us were supposed to sleep over, Marty's house was washed away by the typhoon.

Despite my occasional qualms about social media, it is really great in some instances. For example, when you wake up on Sunday morning to the news that the typhoon has done serious damage in the south of the prefecture, and you have no idea what is happening with your friends and colleagues who live in that area. Messages flew back and forth as we tried to account for everyone, and people started posting on Facebook that they were safe. One JET posted: "Shit got really scary there for a while- the bridge in front of my house collapsed, and there was a big landslide on the far side of the river. My neighbors said there hasn't been a storm like this in their lifetime." All in all, we were exceedingly fortunate. A car and a house were washed away in the storm and a number of people lost power, but everyone is safe and unhurt.

Photo posted on FB by a JET of the bridge outside her apartment

Marty's house, in the river

So where was I during all this? Safely tucked in my bed, thank goodness. I had braved the rain on Saturday to go into Nara City with some friends to sightsee, but the winds were pretty tame, and the rain didn't really pick up until the early evening, when we were heading back home.

I keep thinking about the JET program. JETs put their lives on hold for a year or more to come to a truly foreign land to teach English and share their cultural traditions. We adjust to things like living a life without cheese or sleeping on a futon on the floor. But then there are the serious things, like earthquakes and typhoons and maybe the destruction of a metropolis by a giant lizard. When I announced I was moving to Japan, a few people asked me if I was worried about earthquakes after what had happened in March. It took me a second to answer, because I honestly hadn't thought anything about it. To me, this was such an incredible opportunity that it outweighed any risk. Other people who came over with me this summer said the same thing: this was too good to pass up. Considering the fact that JET requires participants to commit to coming to Japan before they will tell you where you've been placed, it's even more remarkable that people throw themselves into this so willingly.

The JET program has been a source of contention in Japan for a few years. As a government-sponsored program, there has been talk about scaling down or cutting it altogether. When the earthquake hit northeastern Japan last year, two JETs were killed in the tsunami that followed. One woman died riding her bike home, after having stayed at school to ensure that her students made it home safely. JETs have raised thousands of dollars amongst themselves and JET alumni to be put towards reconstruction efforts. Volunteer groups have been organized to help rebuild the affected areas, and to provide relief to those worst hit. The outpouring of time, energy, and financial resources by JETs in particular has really stunned Japan, and cemented the fact that most JETs aren't just here to eat sushi, take some pictures, and talk about how awesome they were because they got to work in Japan. JETs get really involved in their communities, and remain so even when the chips are down. Hopefully this dedication will convince the powers that be of the value of the exchange.

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

"Do you have boyfriend?" This seems to be a recurring question from students, neighbors, fellow teachers, and complete strangers. By Japanese standards, I am a "Christmas cake": like a pastry sitting on a shelf on December 25th, once an unmarried woman hits 25, she is in danger of becoming stale. [According to a recent article in The Economist (I hike my glasses up further onto my nose as I type this), marriage rates in Asia are falling across the board. Women are forgoing marriage in order to have careers, which is virtually impossible if you are married and have a family. The birth rate is also decreasing, which means that universal pension funds will be severely strapped as Asia's populations age. But I digress.] As polite as the Japanese are, conventional propriety becomes a casualty of curiosity when it comes to foreigners, particularly women. For example, it's not uncommon for male students to ask female gaijin teachers for their three sizes: bra, waist and hips. I wonder if it's a function of being the "other," that we somehow don't count or stand apart from the way people usually interact. This leaves Japanese people free to ask us about how we do our hair, or if we wear colored contacts, or to comment that we have a nice body (as one female student told me matter-of-factly last week). I can't imagine Japanese people having similar conversations amongst themselves, and even JETs who are Asian or of Asian descent aren't asked personal questions the way the rest of us are.

There is a lot of unintentional pairing up that goes on in JET, as the Japanese have a habit of coupling people together, regardless of whether or not a relationship really exists. Take, for example, a friend of mine. She's good friends with another (male) JET, who lives several towns away. One Saturday they were out together, and were spotted by some of his coworkers, which raised some eyebrows. He then stayed at her place Saturday night (again, just as friends), before leaving on Sunday morning. On the return home, he ran into the same group of coworkers, who asked if he had been visiting his girlfriend that weekend. "No," he said, "Just a friend." "You LIE!" his coworkers said gleefully, "We saw you with her on Saturday, and now you are coming home on the train on Sunday!" The idea of a platonic relationships between people of the opposite sex is not unthinkable per se, but unless you're seen in a large group, it's pretty much assumed that you're an item. I posted a photo of my family from my college graduation on the English bulletin board as part of my self-introduction (I admit- I wanted to demonstrate my education: "Look, kids! I am actually qualified to teach you, even though we look the same age!"), and have had several people approach me asking if Justin is my boyfriend (sorry, bro- it is the cross you must bear in life). Even when I show them more recent family photos with my sister-in-law, they still pause, point to Justin, and say, "Who is that....? Is that...boyfriend...?" As though I must be dating ONE of the people in the photograph. [As an aside, I want to tout my rockstar sister, who turned up in the WSJ recently. We are even more proud than usual. Way to marry up, JB.]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, JAPAN

September 1st marked my one-month anniversary in Japan. So far, we've muddled through a few earthquakes, a typhoon, and my attempt to deliver a speech in Japanese in front of 780 people during my school's opening ceremony. I was nearly trampled and eaten by a herd of sacred deer. I've purified various parts of my being, and gained the blessing of the Buddha after climbing through an obnoxiously small hole (see pictures below) that is said to be the size of one of the nostrils of the daibutsu, Japan's largest Buddha, located in Nara. I've eaten things both weird and wonderful, and met some truly lovely people. Not too shabby. Bring on the next 11 months!